Any
puppy, if properly educated by his mother will do his best to avoid
soiling his sleeping area. The crate will become a great training tool
and a safe haven for your whippet pup.

Picking Up Your Whippet Pup

If possible pick up the puppy from the breeder in the morning so he will have a full day to get acquainted with his new home before settling for the night.

When you drive the pup home, you’ll need a helper to hold and reassure the dog in the back seat.

In
the unfortunate event you can’t find any volunteer for this task,
place the whippet pup in the crate either in the car booth or in the
back seat secured by the safety belt and be prepared to put up with
protests and whining.

Be firm, ignore the
complains and concentrate on the driving. Rest assured there isn’t a
safer or better way to do this and refrain from the temptation to place
the pup on your lap. It would be dangerous and a very bad start in your
role of firm and fair puppy trainer.

In his first trip in a car, the pup might be sick, so be prepared with rags, puppy pads and paper towels.

Your Puppy at Home

Unless you love cleaning and redecorating, don’t leave to the puppy the run of the house.

With a baby gate or even better a puppy pen confine the whippet pup to a part of the house where he won't be able to do much damage but can still keep eye contact with his new family.

Generally the kitchen is the favorite room for this purpose because is an easy to clean, high traffic area.

Puppy
proof the area removing electric wires, small objects that can be
ingested, sponges and anything that can be bitten into pieces.

Place the crate in the kitchen. Make the inside of the crate inviting with soft bedding, a rag that retains the smell of the litter, a dog toy and leave the crate door open at all times, allowing the puppy to get in and out at will.

Food

Probably the breeder has given you some food for the first days.

If
you plan to change the puppy’s diet, do it gradually to avoid diarrhea
and any digestive truble during this critical transition period.

Puppies need to eat small quantities of food more often than adult dogs.

Generally the daily ration of food is divided into four or five portions served at intervals during the day.

Leave fresh water available at all times.

Puppy Potty Training Tips

Start immediately the potty training for your puppy dog.

After play, a nap, a meal and about every hour, take the dog to the designated toilet spot.

Use
an attractive spray (available from supermarkets and pet shops) to mark
the area and make clear to the puppy what is the purpose of the trip to
that specific spot.

If by any chance the dog
does what he is required to do, praise verbally, with food or a cuddle.
Give yourself a little reward too, you deserve it: you're on your way to a well trained
dog.

The First Nights

Place the crate close to your bed, if possible on a chair so the dog can see you and be reassured by your presence.

If
the pup whines during the night, carry him to the designated toilet
spot, if he complies with his duty, praise, place back in the crate and
hope the rest of the night will be peaceful.

If
it was a false alarm place the pup back in the crate without comments.
In the unfortunate event the puppy keeps whining, tap gently on the top of the
crate. This will distract the puppy for a while.

If the dog starts whining again, repeat the procedure: take the dog
to the toilet spot and then place him back in the crate. The discomfort of
being taken outside will soon teach the puppy not to call without
reason.

You must at all cost avoid the puppy
soiling the crate, if this becomes a habit you will have lost the crate
as your most helpful training tool.

Probably the
first nights will be rather restless: be patient, don't despair, under
your guidance your whippet pup will soon learn his job as house pet and
companion.

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